My mother is experiencing trouble gripping objects. what supplements can she take to strengthen her grip? thank you in advance~ my mother is experiencing trouble gripping objects. what supplements can she take to strengthen her grip? thank you in advance~

I'm : I'm going to have to guess the problem. Playing the odds, she has pain at the base of her thumb with opening jars, turning keys and doorknobs, etc. The diagnosis is trapeziometacarpal (base of thumb) arthritis. Like grey hair it's an expected part of aging. We all get it if we live long enough, women sooner than men. It may feel to your mother like she can't rely on her hand, but most people adjust nicely, and i'm sure she will too. I wish there was a way to slow, reverse, or cure arthritis, but the best we can do is adaptation, ibuprofen/tylenol, ice/heat, or a splint. Some people choose to have reconstructive surgery (some variation of removing one of the bones--the trapezium--with or without other treatments).

I : I agree with dr. Ring that many women get arthritis at the base of the thumb that weakens the grip. Despite advertisements about decreasing muscle loss with aging, there is no supplement known to increase strength. Testosterone and its relatives do increase muscle bulk and strength, but have numerous serious and life threatening side effects and are not legal nor recommended. I also do not recommend the ones advertised on tv and radio that do not have peer-reviewed studies to back up their claims. Many of these companies are based outside the us. Once they get your credit card number, you will be charged repeatedly with no recourse except to close the account. They are outright fraud! the best way to improve grip is to do some strengthening exercises. First, make sure pain symptoms are managed that can limit effort (see dr. Ring's discussion). Then, get a soft stress ball to start working with. Change to a stiffer one as strength improves. Then try a low resistance hand exerciser. If your mother is truly losing function, she should be evaluated by her physician or a hand surgeon. Carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar nerve problems, and other causes of hand weakness can be treated. If you wait to long, though, some weakness can become permanent.